Scoop board for vehicle boxes



web 9, E94. c. B. RICHEY 2,437,514

SCOOB BOARD FOR VEHICLE BOXES I Filed Dec. 11, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 He..9 A

INVEN TOR. CLARE/V6649. ICHEY May- 2h 9 3948. c. B. RICHEY 2,437,614

SCOOP BOARD FOR VEHICLE BOXES Filed Dec. 11, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nINVENTOR. CLARE/V056 R/CHEY ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 9, 1948 SCOOPBOARDFOR VEHICLE BOXES Clarence B. Richey, Quincy, Ill., assignor toElectric Wheel Company, Quincy, 111., .a corporation of IllinoisApplication December 11, 1944, Serial No. 567,730

2 Claims. 1

The presentinvention relates to what is commonly called scoop boards forthe rear end of wagon or truck boxes and the like, the board-havingmeans whereby the operator may stand -onits rear end for the initialoperation ofemptying .the wagon box.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a scoopboard, the .major frameoi which can be formed from a single piece ofsheet metal with practically no wastage and so that the ordinarybracings andthe like are not necessary.

An important object of the present invention is to hinge-like mount theboard at the rear end of the wagon box and to supply rods, for holdingthe board in a locked or closed position, which also will act as bracesfor holding the board in its unloading position and without the use ortools, bolts or other means.

A further object of the present invention is to bend the upper and lowerends of the board into channels and bend the sides .oft-heboard so as toform stiiiening flanges Which-will embrace the sides of the wagon box,whereby a .single cross member only is necessary for cooperation withthe :rods for the purpose aforesaid.

Astill further object of the present invention is to formanon-skidsurfaceon the rear end of the board for about one third thelength of the board to thereby form asafe standing surface for theoperator.

To these and other useful ends my invention consists of parts,combinations of parts or :their equivalents as hereinafter described andclaimed and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of my invention in its upward or closedposition, a fraction only of the Wagon box being shown.

Fig. 2 is an isometric view similar to Figure 1 with the scoop board inits down or unloading position.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the board per se.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the board as shown in Figure 3.

Fig. 5 is a view of the board after being fabricated but before beingformed.

Fig. 6 illustrates a fraction of one of the brace bars.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fractional view of the rear end of a wagon box,and illustrating a fraction of the board in its closed position and itssupport which cooperates with the end of the box so the board can beraised and lowered hinge-like.

Fig. '8 is a fractional rear-view'with the board in *positionasshowninFigure -"i.

FigQQ is a fractional section-of the board taken through three of the-non-=skid projections.

cutawaycorners l'l-- H and slits I2'-|-2. After member B isthusiabricated U-shaped channels '13 are "formed (seeFigures 3 and 4).u-shaped inverted channels M are also formed between cut away portionsH, and side flanges l5 are formed "shown '(-see Figures 2 and 4). Theseflanges are reinforced at their lower ends as at [B (see Figures 1 and2). Flanges -15 are spaced apart as shown in Figures land? and are closeto the outer surfaces of the side panels I! of the wagon box. Sidepanels I! are provided with spaced strips it for the-receptionof-the-usua1 slidably inserted end-gates. Thus member C may be a standardwagon box, the regular end gate not being shown. The floor-of 'thewagonbox is designated by numeral 19. On the rear bottom side of member I 9-Ii-provide a sill 20.

'Onthe'rear sideof'memberZfi I'secure an angle iron 2| the top of thisiron being about .the same distance vfrom the top of member 19 as thewidth of channel 13 so'whentheboard isin an unloading 'position'as shownin Figure? the top of the board will be about on the same plane as thetop of member l9 (see Figure 2).

Thus it will be seen that member 2| and the rear end of the box will actas a support for the board when open or closed and form a seat so theboard may be moved as a lid, hinge like.

I provide means for holding member A in its closed and opened positionsas follows: straps 35 are secured to members l'l, about as shown inFigures land 2, so when member A is closed the rear ends of these strapswill protrude loosely through openings Ill. The straps have openings asat 36 into which the upper ends 31 of links 38 are booked for a freeswinging movement.

A channel 39 having openings 40 through which straps 35 freely extend,is secured to member A as shown in Figure 1, openings l0 and 40 registerand are large enough so when rods 38 are free, member A may be moved tothe position shown in Figure 2. Members 38 are provided with loops 4|which are too large to pass through openings 40, rods 38 being of theproper length so member A may rest on loops 4! when the board is in itsunloading position as shown in Figure 2.

It will be seen that member A will have a firm support at its front endand will be firmly held in the position shown in Figure 2 so theoperator may stand on the rear end of member A and begin the operationof unloading the wagon box. Members l3, l4, l and 39'clearly willstiffen the board and make it suitable for holding any required weightor pressure when closed or open.

In order to make it possible for the operator to safely stand on memberA while unloading, I provide non-skid means at the rear of the board fora width preferably defined by its rear end and a point as at 45 asfollows: closely spaced openings are punched in the board preferably instaggered relation and projections as at 45 are formed concentric withthe openings.

I secure member A in its closed position as follows: pins 41 are locatedso rods 38 which have spring characteristics cannot be positioned asshown in Figure 1 without being deflected considerably. Holes 40-4flinmembers 35 are positioned so when rods 38 are in the position shown inFigure 1, board A will be held snugly against the ends of the box; thuswhen they are deflected far enough, loops 4| may be permitted toyieldingly enter within the U-shaped member l3 as shown in Figure 1.Clearly members 4! cannot he accidentally disengaged, therefore member Acannot be moved without lifting loops 4| out of the U-shaped channel l3.One of the reasons why this device is safe and effective is because ofthe design as shown and that the strains against 31 are in the nature ofa shearing strain so that very little forward pressure at the bottom ofrods 38 will effectively hold member A into position against loadpressure.

It will be seen that applicants scoop board is light, strong, easilymanufactured at low cost, and efficient.

Having thus shown and described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with an open rear end vehicle box, a scoop boardhaving forwardly extending flanges on the sides adapted to lie adjacentthe outside of the side panels of the box,

, a support for the lower end of said board adjacent open or closed,rods anchored to the side panels of the box a distance above saidsupport and adapted to hold the scoop board in its upper or closed andopened or unloading position, the upper rear surface of said board for adistance from the rear end thereof having a multiplicity ,of closelyspaced flanged openings forming a nonskid surface.

2. In combination with an open rear end vehicle box, a scoop boardhaving forwardly and downwardly extending flanges on its sides, adaptedto lie adjacent the outside of the side panels of the box when the boardis open or closed, a rearwardly extending support for the lower end ofsaid board and positioned a short distance below the floor of the box,said board on its bottom, having formed thereon, a rearwardly extendingU-shaped trench, adapted to lie on said rearwardly extending supportwhen the board is closed or open, and having a width about equal to thedistance between the floor of the box and the top surface of thesupport, a transverse bar secured to the rear side of the board adistance from said support, openings in the ends of said bar andregistering openings in said board, anchor members secured to the sidepanels of the box, adapted to extend through said openings when theboard is closed, rods having spring characteristics hingedly connectedto the protruding ends of said anchors, means on the free ends of saidrods adapted to support the board when in its open position, projectionson said board positioned to thereby limit the inward swing of the rodswhen the board is closed, said rods having a length whereby they may bedeflected transversely inwardly and their lower ends dropped into saidtrench for holding the board snugly against the rear end of the box.

CLARENCE B. RICHEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 482,835 Sneer Sept. 20, 1892489,721 Sneer Jan. 10, 1893 510,416 Fenton Dec. 12, 1893 928,116 FlemingJuly 13, 1909 1,314,684 Manville Sept. 2, 1919 1,331,570 Knutson Feb.24, 1920 1,637,631 Beintema Aug. 2, 1927

